When you think of flowers, you might think of Holland. But the owners of an Oberlin, Ohio, greenhouse are working with the Dutch — as well as flower growers from 12 other countries — to master the art of growing the perfect orchid.

European leaders agreed Tuesday to impose tough economic sanctions against Russia. The new measures are designed to place broad pressure on the Russian economy and force Vladimir Putin into de-escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine. But will the new measures work?

Outside of Russia, the narrative around Malaysia Airlines flight 17 has become fairly accepted — with Russia taking much of the blame. Inside Russia, however, the media is selling the Kremlin's line and saying Western countries are the ones hiding the facts.

Russia has announced it will stop selling rocket engines to the US, as the tit-for-tit sanctions over Ukraine increase. That will hurt America's ability to loft satellites into orbit and support the International Space Station. Elsewhere, Nigerian vigilante groups form to fight against Boko Haram and a religious ritual in Indonesia involves anonymous sex, in today's Global Scan.

Updated

04/01/2014 - 11:15am

The US Secret Service has had a rough time of late. Just last week, three agents were sent home from a trip to The Netherlands after one agent was found passed out in the hall. Another incident in Miami a few weeks before led to two agents being given sobriety tests on the side of the road. All of this comes in the shadow of a 2012 incident where agents were accused of patronizing prostitutes in Colombia.

India has been engaged in a long debate over the way its women are treated. The latest battle in that ongoing war came on Twitter recently, when someone posted a picture of two men sitting on Delhi metro seats reserved for women. It didn't go over well. That and more in today's Global Scan.

The Dutch have the oldest and largest Obama fan club in Europe, according to an analyst there. The reason? He stands for diversity and cooperation with Europe —and the Dutch get his problems with the Tea Party.

Uruguay made waves when it legalized the possession, consumption and manufacturing of marijuana. Now, the president has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. A 12-year-old discovers a new species of giant jellyfish. And just what would it take for New York City to host a winter Olympics? All that and more, in today's Global Scan.

Airline passengers are not used to getting something for free. But Amsterdam's Schiphol airport has its own library. Travelers can now kick back with one of its 1,200 books - for nothing - while they wait. The World's Clark Boyd reports.

Runners from Kenya dominate the big marathons. That does not sit well the Utrecht Marathon. They're offering foreign runners less prize money to level the field. Anchor Lisa Mullins talks to Theo Tamis, a sports correspondent with Radio Netherlands.

Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with musician Laura Jansen. Jansen once worked at the UN and even dreamed of being the UN's first female Secretary General. After the death of her mentor, human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, she sought solace in music.

As Indonesia recovers from the devastating 2004 earthquake and tsunami, many tourists are coming to the country because of the disaster. They want to see the recovery and especially the iconic location photographed after the tsunami.

A team of students at a Dutch university have created what they believe to be the first functioning solar-powered car with room for four passengers. Though production may be years away, the team hopes to have the vehicle street-legal as soon as possible.

The Sochi Olympics start this week, and the city has a new problem: dogs. They have a solution, but its almost as outrageous as the problem. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, mayors are asking the government for permission to grow weed. And Japanese whalers are clashing with protesters off Antarctica, in today's Global Scan.

Edible insects are celebrated for being environmentally friendly and also potentially quite tasty. And now they're going mainstream, with the Dutch grocery store Jumbo getting ready to put them on the shelves.

For today's Geo Quiz we're looking for a city in the Netherlands where you can buy psychoactive substances in stores called "Smart Shops." The answer is Amsterdam. The Dutch government is banning the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms as of December first, and Smart Shop owner Veronique Vandeschueren tells host Marco Werman about the expected impact on her business.

Santa Claus arrived in the Netherlands over the weekend, or rather "Sinterklaas," as he's known there. He doesn't come with elves, though. Instead, he has a sidekick called "Black Pete," who wears blackface, red lipstick and a wig. For some, he's a beloved Dutch tradition. For others, "Black Pete" is just plain racist.

In the Netherlands, a Christmas holiday tradition is leading to protests, clashes and arrests. Meanwhile, Turkey's president wants to build a mosque in Cuba — to honor the Muslim sailors he says arrived in North American 300 years before Columbus. And China discloses how it tried to clear Beijing's polluted skies before welcoming last week's APEC leaders. All that in today's Global Scan.

Some African migrants who are seeking asylum in the Netherlands are facing a crisis of their own. This week the Dutch government rejected a request from the United Nations to provide thousands of homeless migrants with basic food and shelter.

At some level, all countries push new citizens to integrate and that's where civics and language citizenship tests come in. But when you take a longer look at how citizenship exams are developed worldwide, you realize they can have less to do with methodology than promoting a strict cultural identity.

Uruguay made waves when it legalized the possession, consumption and manufacturing of marijuana. Now, the president has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. A 12-year-old discovers a new species of giant jellyfish. And just what would it take for New York City to host a winter Olympics? All that and more, in today's Global Scan.

If America defaults on its debt this week, it won't be the first economic superpower to do so. Imperial Spain was a chronic defaulter in the 16th and 17th centuries, and this helped lead to its downfall.

Italy recently allowed the chronically sick to purchase marijuana for medicinal purposes. But the country's supply has been severely constrained. Now the army is stepping in. Meanwhile, in Canada, the elk supply is anything but constrained and that's a problem. And President Barack Obama may have to ally with Syria's Bashar al-Assad.

Since 1991, the Ig Nobel prizes have been awarded, tongue firmly in cheek, to researchers whose work "first makes you laugh, then makes you think." The theme of this year's Ig Nobel ceremony? Food. And with that, we have this review of the Ig Nobel Cookbook, Volume I.